2024 Bathing Water Profile for Crimdon
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Crimdon Beach is a gently sloping sandy remote beach. The designated area is approximately one kilometre long and it is at the northern end of a five kilometres long beach.
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County Durham
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Durham
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The Environment Agency will be taking investigative samples during the 2022 bathing water season to identify the source of pollution contributing to the high results in recent years, and to determine action required to prevent further deterioration.
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There are no storm overflows discharging to Crimdon beach but there are some on the sewerage system to the north. These were designed to ensure that bathing water quality at Crimdon is protected.
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Sewage from coastal villages to the north, which previously discharged through a number of short sea outfalls was intercepted in the early 1990s and taken to a long sea outfall at Horden, which was designed to improve bathing water quality. In 2000, a sewage treatment works was added to this system. The resulting discharge is thought not to affect bathing water quality at Crimdon.
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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 1% of visits, with 62% of visits noting the presence of seaweed (macroalgae). Environment Agency research suggests this bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae).
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Modern sewerage systems have two separate systems, one takes foul sewage to sewage treatment, the other takes rainwater runoff through surface water drains to rivers, lakes and the sea. Misconnections occur when waste water pipes are plumbed into surface water drains instead of the foul water sewerage system. This can give rise to pollution when the waste water is discharged directly to the environment through the surface water drain. For example, a washing machine or toilet may be incorrectly plumbed so that it discharges to the surface drain rather than the foul sewage drain.
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For the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, phytoplankton (microscopic algae) was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 3% of visits. Environment Agency research suggests this bathing water does not have a history of phytoplankton blooms. The risks to human health from contact, ingestion or inhalation with marine algae that currently occur in UK coastal waters are considered to be low. However, some individuals may be more sensitive and display some reactions. A common marine algae found in UK coastal waters is Phaeocystis, which is often mistaken for sewage as it forms foam and a brown scum, but it is non-toxic.
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This bathing water is subject to short term pollution procedures. The Environment Agency makes a daily pollution risk forecast at this site based on the effects of rain, wind and seasonality on bathing water quality. These factors affect the levels of bacteria that get washed into the sea from livestock, sewage and urban drainage via rivers and streams and how they disperse. When these factors combine to make short term pollution likely we issue a pollution risk warning on this website and the beach manager will display a sign advising against bathing at the bathing water. After a short term pollution event, levels of bacteria typically return to normal after a day or so but it’s possible to have several warning days in a row. Details of the work to reduce the sources of bacteria at this bathing water are detailed in this profile. In 2023 11 pollution risk warnings were issued for this bathing water. All bathing waters have the potential to be affected by a pollution incident and if this occurs a pollution risk warning will be issued with associated advice against bathing on this website.
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2024 Bathing Water Profile for Crimdon
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2024-09-30
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2024-05-01
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Crimdon Beck enters the bathing water but appears not to affect its quality in normal circumstances.
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Environment Agency samplers make observations of litter present on the beach at every visit, this includes assessments of sewage debris, litter and tar. At Crimdon for the four year (2020-2023) assessment period where data is available, sewage debris was not assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable, but was observed as being present on 3% of visits. Litter was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 11% of visits, with 75% of visits noting the presence of litter. Tarry residue was not noted at this site.
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Following a number of failures of bathing water standards in 2002 an investigation was undertaken and the source identified as an overflowing sewage pumping station at a nearby caravan site. This was rectified and water quality has been satisfactory every year since.
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The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment surrounding the bathing water is approximately 30 square kilometres, which is a mixture of arable and grassland with small villages throughout.
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Crimdon
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Crimdon
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Sampling point at Crimdon
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448482
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54.72807976877461
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-1.248729788380296
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537268
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Sampling point at Crimdon
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p152 dT23 h59 m59 s
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2024 05 01 t00:00:00
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2024-05-01T00:00:00
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2024 09 30 t23:59:59
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2024-09-30T23:59:59
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2024 05900:1
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Seaweed (macroalgae) and phytoplankton (microscopic algae) are a natural part of the marine and freshwater environment. Below we note whether these have been recorded in quantities sufficient to be a nuisance.
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The majority of sewers in England are “combined sewers” and carry both sewage and surface water from roofs and drains. A storm overflow operates during heavy rainfall when the sewerage system becomes overwhelmed by the amount of surface water. The overflow prevents sewage from backing up pipes and flooding properties and gardens. An emergency overflow will only operate infrequently, for example due to pump failure or blockage in the sewerage system.
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Heavy rain falling on pavements and roads often flows into surface water drains or highway drains, ending up in local rivers and ultimately the sea. The quality of bathing water may be adversely affected as a result of such events.
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It is the Environment Agency role to drive improvement of water quality at bathing waters that are at risk of failing higher standards. It is natural for water to run off the land to the sea. Water quality at a bathing water is dependent upon the type and area of land (the catchment) draining to the water and the activities undertaken in that catchment.
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Discharges from sewage treatment works have improved substantially in England since the 1980s.
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